By John E. Weare, Keep Alliance Beautiful
ALLIANCE, Neb. - Area residents who recycle through Keep Alliance Beautiful are on pace with 2025 rates. Through the first quarter of 2026 the KAB recycling center processed and shipped 240,705 pounds of material, just over the 240,271.5-pound quarterly average last year.
While 2026 through March 31 kept pace, 2025 opened with 258,640 pounds then a record third quarter of 284,443. Compared to a year ago three categories showed gains: #1-7 plastics 11,848 (7,608), Milk Jugs 2,037 (419), Mixed paper 39,049 (31,781). Five had declines:
Cardboard 146,890 (171,353), Steel/tin cans 5,713 (6,795), Aluminum cans 2,906 (2,975), Electronics 2,558 (5,127), Glass 17,216 (20,124), Hefty bags 4,313 (4,942). Miscellaneous recycling classified as “other” was a little higher at 4,355 pounds compared to 4,158. We also hauled 3,820 pounds of lick tubs away before the spring demand with that material taken among regular loads in 1Q 2025.
Our KAB crew at the recycling center has worked diligently to zero out a backlog of plastic and curbside bags. This has boosted plastic (both #1-7 and milk jug) volumes. Reasons for fewer cardboard bales are something I cannot put my finger on, we still seem to be feeding those two balers all the time. Paper was almost as high as the top (third) quarter in 2025. As I have mentioned before, the goal is to see a steady annual increase in recycling volumes.
KAB continues to streamline operations and inform the public on local recycling options. Earlier this year I reported on changes to the materials being accepted at our trailers along West Second Street between Cheyenne and the alley to the east. Switching the plastic bottle trailer to a place for aluminum cans has made processing easier and resulted in fewer cans blowing off the lot. A reminder that only beverage cans should be placed in the trailer, not heavier aluminum pet food cans or steel/tin cans.
Attempting to separate plastic for the Hefty ReNew (orange bag) program from Nos. 1-7 plastic and milk jugs in the same trailer was a failure. Despite the signage on the black container we received about the same amount of plastic containers as pliable (ReNew) material. Instead, the 14-container trailer is now designated for Nos. 1-7 on one side and milk jugs on the other. Blue containers have been placed by the trailers for plastic bags. Bagged Hefty ReNew items, including styrofoam, should be placed in the totes along the alley on the east side of the recycling center.
KAB is also transitioning how we accept mixed paper and paperboard at the trailers with more complete signage to be posted at the site soon. The sky blue trailer on the west end has been labeled for magazines on one side and newspapers on the other for more than a decade. Now, we encourage our patrons to fill this trailer with mixed paper, which includes both the aforementioned materials as well as office paper, junk mail and construction paper. We still want all shredded paper to be bagged. If bags cannot fit through the small trailer doors please deposit them in the alley totes. Brown paper (such as grocery bags and packing paper) is now being collected with paperboard.
The 10-container trailer is now for glass (no windows, light bulbs or ceramics) on one side and steel/tin/heavy aluminum cans on the other. Paperboard that went into three containers in this trailer should be placed in one of the cardboard trailers along with corrugated cardboard. Shuffling destinations reflects how we process these materials. KAB coordinates with Western Resources Group in Ogallala – the destination for our paper and cardboard. Whereas we had elected to separate paperboard from cardboard we bale the two together – trading a slightly higher monetary return for time saved sorting. WRG also allowed us to ship them mixed paper rather than totes of white paper, magazines or newspapers.
One thing that has not changed, however, is that we are still not a satellite site for the Alliance Municipal Landfill. Please stop by the recycling center if you have a question about what we accept or call our office 308-762-1729.